


Sekishiko - Book One

by Adrienne_Of_The_Dark



Series: The Various Tales of Sekishiko [1]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Original Character(s), Original Fiction, Original Mythology, Original Universe
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-23
Updated: 2018-11-23
Packaged: 2019-08-28 07:00:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,410
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16718590
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Adrienne_Of_The_Dark/pseuds/Adrienne_Of_The_Dark
Summary: Seki works as a faithful servant in the Drodemier Manor. Although, unlike her peers, she has a remarkable gift: the power to control the nature of water.Her village thinks highly of her and her ability, thus have spread the word of her across the continent. Unluckily, this has caught the attention of many power-hungry people, and nosy spirits. Even more unlucklily, mostly for Illian Drodemier, he is an easy target for kidnapping, based on his clumsy nature.With traffickers, criminals, and spirits alike taking their every chance to capture her, will Seki be able to protect the family and herself, and how long will she keep her apathetic personality from fading?





	Sekishiko - Book One

Her life had become a bore. No one remembered her, thus no one searched for her services. She idled the days, weeks, decades away, sitting at the edge of the lake no one knew about.

It was a stroke of luck to both parties that a woman with an unborn child, covered in scars and bruises, stumbled ungracefully into the clearing. Her face seemed to light up at the sight of the lake, clean and clear of anything unappealing. She exclaimed "Water!" before dipping her cupped hands in, but hesitated while raising them to her lips to inspect her unblemished palms. Upon further inspection, the entirety of both her hands were perfectly clear of any and all harm. The woman, to put it briefly, was absolutely amazed.

The goddess, unseen by the woman for obvious reasons, watched her intently as she splashed her healing water onto her arms, numbly rubbing the now invisible wounds.

"Woman," the goddess spoke, voice booming around them. "What is your name?"

Not to her surprise, the woman flinched back, looking around futily for the speaker of the bone-rattling words. "I.. My name is Sarah, Sa-Sarah Lauderson."

"Sarah Lauderson," the light breeze surrounding her seemed to pick up, rustling the leaves around, though nothing fell into the lake. In fact, the lake stayed undisturbed, beside a faint glow rising from the center and slowly, but steadily, lighting up the entirety of the area. "You have, at the very least, unknowingly stumbled into a sacred place. The waters of which have cleaned your wounds came from what was once called an immortal spring. If you taste it, it will be sweeter than honey, and your voice will resound with the heavens. If you drink it, your soul will be replenished, and you will be granted with wondrous luck. If you bathe within it, your body will strengthen undoubtedly, and any physical injuries will disappear." The voice paused, as if pondering if it wanted to continue. "Tell me, have you ever heard of such a lake?"

Sarah unbashfully held her fingers over her lips, and gazed into the fresh skin of her other palm. "No, I've never heard of any immortal spring. But, can I ask for- no... Do you have a name?"

"A name?" The wind ceased, quieting the air to bear silence, and within the noise-barren moment, a ripple interrupted the stillness of the lake, followed closely by a vague, shining figure. The figure leapt out, taking the glow of the lake with it, and shaping itself into a woman with brilliant, clear hair, and a body of pure water.

Strands of water also seemed to follow after her feet, but she landed gracefully on the lake's surface before Sarah could process what they looked like. She slowly opened her eyes to Sarah, and she could feel the toll centuries of loneliness had put on the being through her gaze.

"A name... I haven't thought of my name for such a long time, I've nearly forgotten. Though, I suppose that name doesn't suit me well anymore. Tell me Sarah, are you willing to name me?"

"Name you? But, why me? I merely stumbled into your land, I have no right to name you," Sarah protested, but the goddess gently placed a hand on her cheek, warm, and yet somehow dry.

"Humans are the creatures that name things. My first name was merely a label put on me by humans long, long ago. Is it not right for another human, with the express consent of the labeled, to name me again?"

She pulled her hand away from Sarah, and glided away once again, leaving her in awe. She dryly swallowed, and blinked up at the being. "Then, can I first ask what this lake has been called?"

"This lake?" She delicately touched her finger to the surface, letting the ripples glow around her. "This is Lake Seki. Why do you wish to know?"

Sarah smiled, and dipped her hands in as well. "Then you should be called Sekishiko. That's "Seki Lake" in Japanese. Do you know about Japan?"

"No, I do not. But.. Sekishiko... Seki-shiko..," she seemed to try the name on her tongue. "I do like the name. Tell me, do you come from this "Japan"?"

Sarah smiled and settled beside the water, letting her feet sink in and be healed. "No, but my husband does... Did. I learned the language from him so we could grow closer as a couple, and in turn, I taught him French. So thus, we both knew at least the basics of three languages."

"Your husband," Sekishiko started. "Tell me more about him. You seem to care deeply for him, if you used his language instead of yours to name me."

Sarah smiled sadly, and stared into the lake. "Yes, I do."

<·>

Her eyes opened abruptly. It wasn’t as if she was scared, or forced awake. But rather, she opened them like a robot may- smooth and mechanically. Although, she knew nothing of robots, so this comparison is completely void. 

This is precisely how Lilly-anne- the youngest child and only daughter of the Drodemier's- would picture it. Mechanical robot eyes. 

“Spooky,” the four year-old may have thought. 

Lilly-anne decided over supper that later in the night she would pull a little… trick on her favorite maid. She would find one of her older brothers (Liam, to be exact), and make him help her with the trick. The oh-so-devious trick. 

One could easily imagine the evil grin on her face. The wicked eyes! The crooked teeth! And god-forbid… The adorable red pigtails that adorned her round little face. 

Everything was going as planned. She stayed awake until the dead of night, listening closely… carefully, to the chimes of the clock that declared it to be time. Time to set her insidious plan into motion!

What she hadn’t planned on, was getting lost. Poor Lilly-anne began knocking on every door she could find until one was answered by her older brother, Illian, the next oldest in the family. 

This child was on the brink of tears when he opened the door, and oh boy, was it believable. She couldn’t find Liam, so she’d have to resort to Illian instead. And with those fake tears? Lilly-anne would have him wrapped around her tiny, evil, deceptive little finger. 

While she blubbered out her plan to play with their favorite maid, he knelt down to console her, trying his best to keep her voice down. Illian had no idea what to do! He was used to playing with his older brothers! Brothers that don’t cry and pitch a fit when they get lost!

By the time Illian had finally calmed Lilly-anne down enough for her to speak clearly, she had already miraculously convinced him to join her in her little prank. As supervision, of course. There was no way he was going to directly help with it. He was way too clumsy. He’d mess it up somehow.

Soon enough, Illian had followed Lilly-anne to their favorite maid’s bedroom. Before, he had slathered his little sister’s face in makeup, trying his best to use their mother’s beauty products to make her face resemble a beast of some sort. 

The mess that had come out of that poor attempt looked more terrifying that the actual beast Lilly-anne had requested. The morbid Banshee. 

This creature was well-known for her ear-splitting shriek, preceding the death of a family member. Perfect for Lilly-anne’s wicked plan….

The two slowly crept across the halls, and into the servants quarters, and door by door they checked for the silver-white hair that belonged to her. 

And ever-so slowly, Lilly-anne crept into the tidy room of her’s. Illian, of course, stayed in the doorway, pursing his lips, anticipating that this may not end as well as his sister thinks it will. 

“EEEEEEEEKKKKK” Lilly-anne jumped up onto the bed, flailing and contorting her arms like a banshee might.

….No reaction. 

Of course, what had woken their favorite maid that night was a peculiar dream. One that involved her own mother, and a strange spirit with glistening silver-white hair, just like her’s… 

She looked up, and saw the small child standing on her bed, face covered in paints and powders, arms straight up… And a very embarrassed brother standing in the doorway. His face was even more red than Lilly-anne’s and his own hair. 

Not much is needed to be said for one to know it did not scare her. Seeing as it was relatively obvious that the small child wasn’t the source of her awakening. Instead, she looked like she had gotten in a food fight, rather than trying to scare her favorite maid awake. 

Instead of flattering the two by rolling with the prank, Seki shifted in her sheets to sit up. She then straightened her spine, placed her closed palms in her lap, and gently turned her head to the two.

Calmly, and without a thought, she started. "Young Mistress Lilly-anne, Young Master Illian, is there something you require my assistance in tonight?”

Lilly-anne puffed her powder plastered cheeks and crossed her arms, flopping down to sit beside her. “No, nothing…”

“Sekiiiii!!” Another maid stumbled in, heaving breaths not letting her voice even out. Her hair was a jumbled nest of brown, and she clung tightly to her pillow. She sunk in the doorway when she saw Illian and Lilly-anne.

“Oh, dear heavens! Mistress, you scared me half to death!”

“Yes, but I didn't scare Seki,” she retorted.

“Was your goal in coming here to frighten me, mistress?”

Illian cleared his throat, gaining the attention of most of the crowd. “Isn't it about time we all headed back to bed? Especially you, Lilly-anne.” 

"I don't want to. I want to stay with Seki." She crossed her tiny arms.

"Mistress, you must go to sleep. A young lady like yourself will never grow up healthy if she doesn't get her beauty sleep." Seki stood, and picked Lilly-anne up like a rag doll. Her form was illuminated brilliantly in the moonlight, supported by her white nightgown and silvery hair.

Lilly-anne sulked in the young maiden's arms, but entertained herself by tugging gently on the shining hair. She smiled to herself as she filtered it through her hands.

"Master Illian, what time is it now?" Her voice rang softly, but it held a light sense of power.

"The time? Well, I think..." he dug in his pocket, much too long to be able to come up with anything. "Well, maybe around midnight?"

"Even if it isn't, it is much too late. I shall take her to bed, and you should sleep as well. It would be a shame for you to be dreary in the morning."

"Ah, yes, alright. Come now Lilly, we have to sleep."

"I don't want to. I want to play with Seki."

Illian signed deeply. "I'm sorry, Seki. It's out of my hands."

"Seki," the maid from before spoke. Her hair was still a disaster. "May I?"

"Of course, Tiffany." She held the girl out to her, and she gently took her in her arms.

"Now, now, Lilly-anne, there's no need to be hasty. Why, I'm sure Seki would be thrilled to spend the entire day with you! But now is not the time. She's tired, I'm tired, Master Illian must be exhausted, and I'm positive you aren't all night owl behind all that make up, Mistress. So, why don't we all go sleep now, and you can spend a nice, sunny day with Seki tomorrow morn. Does that sound alright, dearie?" She curled her words beautifully, and was always in just the right tone. The little devil was putty in her arms.

"... I can play with Seki tomorrow?" she murmured. She rubbed her eye, smearing her make up on her knuckles.

"Yes, all day. I'll cover all her chores, so you'll have no worries. You can splash in her puddles and dance with her until the sun goes down tomorrow night."

Lilly-anne mumbled something like an agreement, but it was far too quiet to tell. Tiffany smiled and winked to the other two, and made her way out of the room.

Illian and Seki were left in the remaining awkwardness of the situation.

"So, um, I guess I should leave now, seeing as we intruded on your sleep. I'm sorry for having you play with her tomorrow."

"No worries, Young Master. Although, would you like me to walk you to your room? Mistress Lilly-anne is more aquainted to finding her way around the manor than you, and I'm afraid you might get lost." Her hands folded neatly before her once again as she faced him.

He sighed and chuckled. "Well, I suppose you're right. I really need to get better at this..."

She opened the door and lowered her head. It took him longer than necessary to realise she was waiting for him to walk through, and once again, longer than necessary to break the silence afterward.

"So, Seki... That's not your real name, right?" He glanced to his side, where she walked with all the bravado of royalty and all the simplicity of a shoemaker.

"No, it isn't. Why do you ask?" Unafraid and simple. Like her.

"Why? Oh, yeah, why. Well, I don't know, I was just... curious? Why don't you go by your real name?"

"It's too long. "Seki" is simple enough, so I've never thought of using my real name." Right to the point, once again. He wondered if that was because of her mother's death.

"So, then... What is your real name? Like, the full length. Is it similar to Seki?"

"Yes, it is. My full name is Sekishiko Medley Lauderson."

"... You should've just given me first and last, or just first. It's dangerous to let people know your true name."

"Why? I don't believe you would use my true name against me, or give out my true name to someone untrustworthy. You may not remember it tomorrow, given what I know of you, Illian Rainier Drodemier."

"Wha- when did you hear my true name?!" He exclaimed.

"Fergus told me while he was drunk a few days ago. It really is a shame your true name has so many syllables. It's quite a mouthful."

He hid in his palms. "Please forget about my full name. Just remember Illian Drodemier."

"As you wish, Young Master Illian, I will forget your middle name is Rainier."

"Please, forget it quicker!!"

**Author's Note:**

> If you made it this far, and you actually liked the story, please leave a comment or hit the kudos button! I love seeing people reading my content!  
> Thank you, I'll try updating on a sceduel!


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